Principles of Cell Signaling
The successful transition from single cells to complex multicellular organisms has required the development of mechanisms for cells to communicate with each other, so as to act in concert during…
Postnatal Renal Development
The adult kidney functions to keep the organism in a steady state and protect against changes in the volume and composition of the extracellular fluid. Unlike the adult, the neonate…
Extracellular Nucleotides and Renal Function
Increasing evidence suggests that the ATP/P2 receptor system acts in an autocrine or paracrine fashion to affect various aspects of renal function. P2 receptors have been identified in most renal…
Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Glomerular Capillary Development
Among all of the capillaries in the body, the glomerulus is arguably the most unusual and important, if not the most aesthetically interesting. In this chapter, we review the morphogenesis…
Eicosanoids and Renal Function
Perhaps nothing underscores the special relationship between the kidney and the eicosanoids better than the profound clinical effects non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) have on kidney function. NSAIDs are widely used…
Microvascular Permeability and the Exchange of Water and Solutes Across Microvascular Walls
Exchange through microvascular walls is both the initial and the final step of transport of materials by the circulation. In most tissues, microvascular exchange is a passive process, driven by…
Paracrine Regulation of Renal Function by Dopamine
Classical transmitter ligands evolved about 1000 million years ago. 1 The role of dopamine as a neurotransmitter has evolved with time. In primordial and plant cells, dopamine is present, even…
Mechanisms of Ion Transport across Cell Membranes
Ion transport across the cell membrane is essential to maintain the composition of the intracellular milieu . This chapter provides an introduction to ion transport processes in the cell membrane….
Epithelial Cell Structure and Polarity
Few cell types more elegantly embody the dictum that “form follows function” than do those of polarized epithelia. It is the unique architecture of renal epithelial cells that permits them…
Renal Cilia Structure, Function, and Physiology
The primary or immotile cilium is a nearly ubiquitous microtubule-based structure. It was once considered a vestigial remnant; however, recent advances have revealed that the cilium functions as a critical…
